Themes - Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

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</div> <div class="site-identifier"> <p class="">Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences</p> </div> </div> <div class="primaryNav-container">  <nav class="primaryNav" id="navigation" aria-label="Site menu">  <ul class="megaMenu clickOut clearfix"> <li class="menuItem"><a class="home" href="/">Home</a></li> <li class="menuItem"> <a class="megaLink" href="/study/">Study</a> <div class="megaContent"> <div class="row"> <div class="megaSubPanel"> <p><strong><a href="/study/undergraduate/">Undergraduate</a> </strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="/study/undergraduate/courses/"><span class="screenreader">Undergraduate </span>Courses </a></li> <li><a href="/study/undergraduate/fees-and-funding/">Fees and funding<span class="screenreader"> for Undergraduate study</span></a></li> <li><a href="/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/">How to apply<span class="screenreader"> for Undergraduate study</span></a></li> <li><a href="/study/undergraduate/field-trips/">Field trips</a></li> <li><a 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href="/research/themes/">Themes</a></li> </ul> </nav>  <div class="row tripleVertPadding">  <aside class="leftMenuContainer showAtDesktop">  <nav class="primaryLeftNavNew" aria-label="Section menu">  <ul> <li class="breadcrumbItem"><a href="/">Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences</a></li> <li class="breadcrumbItem"><a href="/research/">Research</a></li> <li class="sectionHeader"><a href="/research/themes/">Themes</a> <ul class="sectionMenu"> <li><a href="/research/themes/earth-planetary-science/">Earth and planetary science</a></li> <li><a href="/research/themes/environment-and-society/">Environment and society</a></li> <li><a href="/research/themes/life-on-earth/">Life on Earth</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul>  </nav>  </aside>   <div class="oneColLayoutContainer">   <div class="mainContentContainer" id="content" data-swiftype-name="body" data-swiftype-type="text">  <h1>Research themes</h1><p class="subHeading">We focus our activities around three major themes, each aiming to help solve some of today's environmental and societal challenges.</p><p>By examining the origins, evolution and complexities of Earth and life on Earth, we can address the key challenges humanity will face in the future. Our research is aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and we focus our activities around three major themes, each taking a different approach to solving today's environmental and societal challenges.</p><div class="clearfix singleVertPadding"> <a href="/research/themes/earth-planetary-science/" > <div class="imagePromo twelvecol last fullSizeUntilLargeMobile"> <figure> <img class="lazy" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAPT09AAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" data-original="/research/themes/EarthPlanetarySciencePromoWide3.jpg" width="768" height="220" alt="View of planet Earth from space" /> <noscript><img src="/research/themes/EarthPlanetarySciencePromoWide3.jpg" width="768" height="220" alt="View of planet Earth from space" /></noscript> <figcaption class="botLeft noMaxWidth"> <h2 class="largeTitle">Earth and planetary science</h2> </figcaption> </figure> <p>We study the origins and evolution of the Earth, its atmosphere, oceans and life, and of the other planets and minor bodies in our Solar System.</p> </div> </a> </div> <div class="clearfix singleVertPadding"> <a href="/research/themes/environment-and-society/" > <div class="imagePromo twelvecol last fullSizeUntilLargeMobile"> <figure> <img class="lazy" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAPT09AAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" data-original="/research/themes/EarthSocietyPlaceholderPromoWide.jpg" width="768" height="220" alt="Researchers silhouetted against sunset" /> <noscript><img src="/research/themes/EarthSocietyPlaceholderPromoWide.jpg" width="768" height="220" alt="Researchers silhouetted against sunset" /></noscript> <figcaption class="botLeft noMaxWidth"> <h2 class="largeTitle">Environment and society</h2> </figcaption> </figure> <p>We aim to create a deeper functional understanding of the nature of the Earth's resources and the complexities of interactions between our planet and human activity.</p> </div> </a> </div> <div class="clearfix singleVertPadding"> <a href="/research/themes/life-on-earth/" > <div class="imagePromo twelvecol last fullSizeUntilLargeMobile"> <figure> <img class="lazy" src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAPT09AAAACH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==" data-original="/research/themes/LifeOnEarthPromoWide1.jpg" width="768" height="220" alt="Desert with scrub trees and researcher in distance" /> <noscript><img src="/research/themes/LifeOnEarthPromoWide1.jpg" width="768" height="220" alt="Desert with scrub trees and researcher in distance" /></noscript> <figcaption class="botLeft noMaxWidth"> <h2 class="largeTitle">Life on Earth</h2> </figcaption> </figure> <p>Our work involves studying the origins and evolution of life on Earth and its interactions in modern ecosystems.</p> </div> </a> </div> </div>   </div>   </div> </article>  <footer class="footerContainer" id="footer" data-swiftype-index="false">  <div class="row tripleVertPadding"> <div class="fourcol footer_col_reduced_width 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